Nychta - The Bloodrose Kingdom

Chapter 9 - Trainings That Kills Ravens

The velvet drapes of the violet curtains framed the moon perfectly in the middle of the styled glass window. It was a calm sight, a frame so serene that it eased my mind.

I was now lying in a velvet bed of a lavender scent and a rose color. It was designed like a queen’s, dramatic and intense. It was as if I was lying in a couple’s bed, given the grand design of it.

I smelled of spring marigolds and sunshine, the essence of the luxurious bath still embracing me. It had been a first out of many, difficult years, with only showers for most of the time. It was a treat, along with the milk cookies that now lay at the table beside my bed. I took a bite out of it, a crunch coming from it. It smelled and tested as good as it looked, tiny circles of a delicate design placed on a white tray with engravings of spirals. Truly, Rosemary was the quite the woman of extravagance.

I was wearing a silk robe. I felt it cling on my body, its soft texture giving me goosebumps whenever I moved. I have never felt more comfortable than today.

All of this came after the talk with Rosemary. She explained everything to me, the land’s history, the queen’s history, and the basic facts that I have never known before. In return, I gave her my past, for her to study and to analyze. It was hard to tell it, but I had nothing else in exchange. She was, after all, going to be my sponsor and trainer for the Divination. It had only been right for me to share myself.

I found that it was a big help for me to share some part of me. It had all been enclosed deep inside my heart, memories and bitter sentiments locked in a cold and barely beating heart. I had been trained to be this cold, but it seemed that only a little of that kindling flame is enough to melt some part of it, to share some of it. Will I ever find another friend? Or was Rosemary the last of the people that I will trust. It hadn’t even been a full day and yet here I was, sharing myself to her.

The biggest effect of it so far is my connection and acceptance with the gem.

Are you unsure of her? the voice said, as if on cue.

I smiled a little at that steel voice of maturity and wisdom.

Yes, but not so much now, I replied. It was true. Rosemary was full of wisdom. She saved me from being the alchemist’s pet. Not to mention, she was also a librarian, and anyone who takes interest in books takes a step closer to my heart. I wasn’t shallow, I just knew who exactly to trust. It is easy to smile and laugh and tell stories with somebody, but it is hard to truly connection with someone.

Use her. Use every ounce of what she has. You’ll need it, the voice said.

“Use” was quite the word. It made you think that you’re in control. It made you think that somebody was a pawn. I wouldn’t want to do that to anyone.

I’ll nourish whatever she gives me. Only what she wants to, I say. I blocked out any more responses from the voice. I was now a creature of the darkness, but I was not to be one of evil. I had received too much of it already to see the effects it did to others.

Tomorrow was the day of training. It was the day when all the talk will finally be put into test, when she will finally see what I was capable of. It wasn’t much, but I knew that she will aid me in it.

I took the book that I was reading in my hands, Volume Two of The Legends of Liogroa. It was the city where the people was in charge of creating the items that we used every day. They exported regularly, using materials that they have gathered. The book mostly contained about its creation, rather than the town’s function today. It mostly consisted of nychtas interacting with The Creator.

I put the book in the table, putting it alongside the plate. Tomorrow will be another day for reading.

I took one last look at the moon. The Creator was a being that the Bloodrose have long forgotten, but there had been too many tales of it in the books and the parchments. It was a powerful being, and I chose to believe in it instead. I had been and always will be a faithful prayer for it. I closed my eyes and said a prayer. Calmly, I lifted the heavy blankets and hid underneath it, tucking in for the long and silent night.

The raven rested in the promises of the wise

It called many creatures of the dark in its dreams

It went through every strand of its darkest nightmares

And then the gem came

And all was banished, and the raven was saved

Sleep again, the gem said

Peacefully, the raven replied

“Heads up!” Rosemary says. In an instant, a ball of fire whizzed by my head, almost hitting it by a few inches.

“Move a little more!” the guys. He had a red gem in his forehead. Fire.

“I’m trying!” I said, the last word cut when I tried to dodge another. Rosemary hired a random guy from the army to train me for today, with us being in a forest far from the palace. It had less vegation and age from the Gray Forest, which was quite a shock for me. The forests in these parts were quite clean in comparison from Silverfang. It must’ve been so easy for them to navigate through these woods back when night still ruled all over the lands.

“Don’t tell me I’ve sent those papers to the palace for you to fail me now!” Rosemary said irritated. She was lounging by a tree, shaded from the gentle rays of the sun. She was wearing a floral brown dress, along with a hat. She enjoyed the newfound season of the lands, which we now call as Spring, as the scholars told her. She was reading a book that was placed in her lap. Relaxed as a baby.

“It’s like I’ve only been born the other day!” I reminded her. The guy she had hired was now sending more and more of the fireballs, with me barely being able to catch the pace. This was supposedly training for my reflexes, but it was definitely difficult, even for a thief. If I hadn’t stole for a living back then, my face would’ve been a burning mess now. I thanked The Creator for not giving me such a fate.

A step to the right, another fireball. I dodged my torso, my boots stepping on soft grass.

A step to the left, another fireball again. I dodge my torso farther this time, my feet barely being able to maintain its balance.

“Stop! Stop!” I pleaded. I needed a break.

Rosemary put the book in her lap higher to avoid looking at me. This woman was testing my patience.

But the man only made his pace faster. There was nothing to do but run. And so I did.

With heavy footsteps, I ran at every direction I can to avoid the hot fireballs. The fact that the forest was cool was good because it was the only reason why I still didn’t give up. I dodged and twisted and ran as fast as I can, as even more sets of balls came through my way.

“Keep your eyes on the balls, not on the ground!” Rosemary shouts.

I groaned in reply. My hair was now disheveled, the essence from the bath now running off from my divine bath earlier. There was much more cleaning to do later.

“C-can’t I use my powers or something?” I managed to say in quick breaths.

“Of course!” Rosemary replies.

I was surprised by the answer, but I took it as a pass to finally unleash a little of bit darkness. I played with the trigger by the back of my mind again, eager to bring out whatever power I had. In one second, a rush of the power came flooding through my senses and my body, invigorating it in a way no food or drink can make it.

It made me hear faster, the small steps of forest critters and the flapping of the birds ringing through my ears. My sight became sharper, focusing on the tiniest details barely seen by my eyes before. I felt faster, my limbs becoming more and more easy to use. It was like a weight lifted off me, which I didn’t knew was there before. I felt not like myself, but of a stronger variety and sense.

I looked back. There where now more fireballs, not only in a single direction, but rather, in a scattered and hard-to-dodge position. There was now more movements to do.

I turned my back from my earlier fleeing position, ready to take on the fireballs by myself. What was it with the gem? What did it give me? By this time, I still did not know my full potential, the full scale of what I was capable of doing.

I experimented it instead.

I shielded myself with my forearm, gathering all the strengths I had. I closed my eyes and prayed for the best.

In an instant, the huge wave of fireballs came to me.

But I didn’t flinch. I didn’t feel any pain. It only bounced back from my body, like balls hitting a hard wall. I only felt an impact, a recoil from the strong force it. I was definitely going to have holes in my body if I didn’t use the gem.

I opened my eyes. The fireballs that hit me dissolved right in front of me after hitting my body. It was if it touched a black liquid that made it disappear quickly. I was amazed by myself, by the gem and how I used it properly.

To this, Rosemary brings down her book, eager to see more of what I can do.

“Now you’re looking!” I shouted, pride obvious in my voice. She smiled back in reply.

And then she whispered something to the man that was training me. I tensed by that, knowing that she was definitely setting me up to fight something more terrible than before. I put my right leg by my back, eager to fight of flee from whatever it was.

The man smirked in front of me. A menacing glint was present in his eyes.

“Get her, Drew!” Rosemary says with a smirk. So that was the man’s name after all. I made a mental note to make sure that I was able to get back on him for this. It was quite obvious that he was also a guard of the castle, judging from his red glinting armors with a raven engraved in its core. Whatever Rosemary was, aside from being a librarian, I was sure that she was of a high position in the queendom, given how easy it was for her to make me join the Divination and to call a guard to do her biddings. I took it both as a good and bad news.

Good, because I had a high and knowledgeable mentor by my side. Plus, she liked books.

Bad, because it was obvious that she was quite a sadist.

Drew put his left fist in front of him. Breathing in a heavy breath, he poured his will and concentration on it, drawing a heavy burst. In an instant, a huge mass of fire came out from it, forming a wolf-shaped element that landed heavily on the ground, causing dirt to spray from it. It had a life on its own, with orange eyes and a snarling mouth. It was looked angrily at me, readying itself to devour its prey. I swallowed hard.

I looked one last look at Rosemary, a hatred evident in my eyes.

I assumed a fighting stance, ready to defend myself.

At the wave of Drew’s hand, the wolf made its way towards me. It caused burns on the grass that was from its paw prints. It was another huge ball of fire, but this time, it radiated of life and fury, full of anger to devour me. I took every ounce of concentration.